Dr. Agnia Grigas
Energy & Political Risk Expert
Russia
Here you can find a list of articles, reports published by Dr. Agnia Grigas or publications where she has provided commentary on the broad topic of Russian foreign policy and the security of Europe, Eurasia and beyond. Some of these pieces discuss Russian compatriot policies in the post-Soviet region, whereas others cover Russian information warfare, hybrid warfare, propaganda and cyber-warfare. Furthermore, here you can find publications not only on the security of such Eastern and Central European countries like Belarus, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine, but also such Caucasian states like Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Kremlin Won't Weigh In Over Donald Trump's Executive Order on Immigration
Newsweek
January 30, 2017
The Kremlin is refusing to comment upon U.S. President Donald Trump’s character and policies that do not relate to Russia, after allies and opponents criticized the leader for his chaotic travel ban announcement.
Польща переозброюється (in Ukrainian)
Tyzhden
December 12, 2016
Конфлікт на Сході України триває третій рік, а шанси на мирне врегулювання віддаляються. Тим часом ЄС і НАТО переживають утому і внутрішні суперечки, Росія виявляє більшу наполегливість, а потенційна Адміністрація США під проводом Дональда Трампа схиляється до ізоляціонізму.
Poland Takes Its Military Might Seriously
The National Interest
November 30, 2016
A call earlier this week between President-elect Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May — in which they agreed on the need for more NATO member states to commit two percent of their GDP on defense spending — brought European security debate back into the limelight.
First 100 Days: Stand Firm Against Russian Aggression
Pacific Council
November 13, 2016
The top foreign policy priorities will be dictated by developments on the ground with the ongoing war and refugee crisis in Syria, the threat of ISIL and international terrorism, the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine, a resurgent Russia, and signs of weakness and fragmentation in the European Union.
How the US can confront Moscow's frozen conflicts
The Hill
July 04, 2016
Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and the emergence of pro-Moscow separatist territories in eastern Ukraine have created a new set of conflicts, and the U.S. response since 2014 constitutes an unprecedented turning point for political involvement and support to the region.
Panama Papers: More Trouble For The West Than Russia
Forbes
April 19, 2016
The leaked Panama Papers implicating government officials from more than 50 countries including Vladimir Putin’s insiders, David Cameron and others in Iceland, Ukraine, China and beyond have prompted a series of speculations arguing that the leak was either orchestrated by the CIA and others countering that it could have been Russia.
Brussels Attacks: Europe's Turmoil is Putin's Gain
Newsweek
March 27, 2016
The devastating attacks in Brussels last week have left Europe and the United States shaken. Fears of further violence are compounded by the perceived risks stemming from the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and the massive refugee crisis, contributing to a general sense of instability and divisiveness.
Separatists Launch New “Passportization” Strategy in Eastern Ukraine
Atlantic Council
March 22, 2016
On March 16, the separatist leaders of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic began issuing their own passports in eastern Ukraine. The territory’s militant leader Aleksander Zakharchenko called the move "a very important step toward building statehood” that will serve to solidify and formalize the territory’s separatist status.
Growing the next generation of Russia experts
The Hill
March 07, 2016
The Pentagon's newest reassessment that Russia is a top national security threat comes on the heels of recent public discussions on the shortage of Russia experts in the U.S. government and the decline in funding for Russian studies.
NATO’s Vulnerable Link in Europe: Poland’s Suwalki Gap
Atlantic Council
February 08, 2016
The Pentagon's decision to quadruple its 2017 budget for European defence due to the perceived threat of Russian aggression and the recent RAND report noting the difficulties NATO would have defending the Baltic States, are once again bringing to the forefront the risks on Europe's frontier states.
Beyond Crimea: The New Russian Empire
Pacific Council
January 21, 2016
The Russian government, especially under the regime of Vladimir Putin, has consistently used the Russian minorities and Russian speakers residing abroad as a means of influence and expansion with the aim of ‘reimperialization’ of the former Soviet space.
Armenian-Russian relations in light of 'Electric Yerevan' protests
The Hill
July 05, 2015
The Armenian public protests of the past weeks against government electricity tariff hikes have raised questions about the potential start of a popular movement resembling Ukraine's Euromaidan in another post-Soviet state. What sets the capital city of Yerevan's protests apart is the fact that there are neither political demands nor calls for a change in the country's foreign policy.
Victory Day celebrations spell a diplomatic defeat for Russia
The Hill
May 07, 2015
Despite the great ideological significance of this day to the Russian state and its people — in the light of the Ukrainian crisis and an increasingly revisionist interpretation of history — Russia has found itself on this important anniversary largely isolated in the international community, with few of the invited world leaders in attendance.
Is America losing the information war?
Lithuania Tribune
April 05, 2015
In a world in which the dissemination of information is a key tactical element in violent conflicts, the West and America have remained far too passive in confronting both the insidious campaign of lies on Russian state-controlled media and the notoriously effective internet recruitment efforts of terrorist groups.
One year since Crimea’s annexation: Russia’s interests in Ukraine run deep
The Hill
March 22, 2015
Russia’s euphoric and triumphalist celebration all this week, marking the one year anniversary of Moscow's annexation of Crimea, has already drawn crowds of people, national flags in abundance, and veterans marching in various cities. Meanwhile, Russia-backed militants continue their attacks in eastern Ukraine testing the fragile truce between Kiev and the separatist forces.
The Media Has Swallowed Five Russian Myths That Have Helped Putin Win In Ukraine
Forbes
September 16, 2014
The West’s latest round of sanctions against Russia and the fragile truce between Moscow and Kiev fails to alter the fact that the Kremlin has already succeeded in achieving most of its aims in Ukraine. Crimea is an all-but-accepted lost cause, and territories in Eastern and Southern Ukraine are under serious pressure to follow suit.
How Putin carries out power grab
CNN
March 01, 2014
With the Russian military having effectively taken control of Crimea, a permanent division of Ukraine is becoming increasingly likely. Russian President Vladimir Putin's request to the Russian Senate to approve military intervention in Ukraine in order to "protect citizens of Russia" highlights how once seemingly innocuous "compatriot policies" are being used by Moscow to justify military efforts to regain Crimea for Russia.